In another “Seven Days”, IAN MEIKLE can only imagine the chief minister’s response to having the casino people seeking “clarification” around the unused poker machine licences he fought the clubs so hard to get for them in 2017. 

“CHIEF Minister, executives from Aquis Entertainment Limited are here to see you.”

“Who?”

“The Canberra Casino people, they’ve just reported almost $4 million in losses and are keen to catch up – their gambling revenue is heading south.”

“If it’s about poker machines, tell ’em to bunk off; they nearly cost me the election in 2016 and I’m still wiping my boots on bloody ClubsACT; insolent bastards standing up to me like that…” 

“It’s sort of about pokies, sir, but they know you’re always up for development and they’re back wanting to expand the casino site again; you remember, Las Vegas style, but there’s a catch.”

“A catch? How does a casino lose money? We gave them 200 machine licences in 2017 that haven’t seen the light of day. 

“Yes, that’s right, Chief, but they say there are terms in the pokies legislation that need ‘clarification’ before they turn a redevelopment sod.” 

“Oh, no! Don’t they know it’s election year? Shane won’t revisit the legislation and ClubsACT have nothing to lose this time. Tell them to try their luck somewhere else.”

ISMINI (Pitsa) Parrett, a Greek Egyptian, married a migration officer who was on a posting to the Australian embassy in Egypt. She was naturalised in the Australian embassy in London by the chief migration officer, without ever having set foot in Australia.

But she became a passionate Australian.

With a physical fitness diploma from London’s Richmond Institute, Pitsa was a pioneer of women’s health in the ACT, beginning in the ’70s with fitness classes long before women attended gyms. Her big love was aquatic rehabilitation classes. Over her 40-year career she contributed to the fitness, health and self-esteem of many thousands of Canberra women. 

But on February 26 much-loved Pitsa died after a long fight with illness. She was 78 and Canberra is poorer for her passing and richer for her being amongst us. Readers of “CityNews” might recognise the surname. Her husband, Colliss, is a regular contributor to our letters page and we are thinking of him right now. 

WITH its loathsome waiting times in emergency, hospital staff morale in a funk, what else could the health system management get wrong? Running out of money, of course! An ACT parliamentary inquiry has been told Canberra Health Services unhelpfully needed $60 million more in the mid-year Budget review to June 30. Embattled CEO Bernadette McDonald says while some staff have tried to cut down on the use of Post-it notes or stationery, there were no specific instructions to do that.

“We don’t want to impact on patient care and we also don’t want to make it extremely hard for people to do their job,” she says.

PLOD raided a Giralang house to recover a den of possibly, just possibly, stolen stuff that would make Aladdin blush – counterfeit currency, a loaded sawn-off shotgun, tradesmen’s tools, high-end push bikes, chainsaws, golf clubs, number plates, computers and several car park access fobs and swipe cards. 

Did I mention the snake? They also apprehended a vividly coloured jungle carpet python of some size. Happily, it’s non-venomous to humans, so no need for handcuffs. 

SHARP-eyed former high-flying Canberra legal eagle Ric Lucas reports spotting a pair of eagles flying overhead at Bruce at lunchtime the other weekend. “I’ve never seen that before. Wonderful to watch them,” he says. That’s one of them in the photo he took.

BACK among the weeds along the Lysaght boulevard in Mitchell there has been progress. Readers will recall reportage last month of Evoenergy’s perpendicular public liability on the footpath. It’s still there, of course, but the weeds have been sprayed. Go, City Services!

A PROPOSED Aldi store next to Fyshwick Markets has gone down like a German sausage with stall holders calling foul at the prospect of a multinational supermarket so close. Wiffens’ manager Ruth Roxburgh says: “There are already five supermarkets within five kilometres of us. Why put one here seeing it really competes with us and takes our customers?” The citynews.com.au story was a super scoop for hard-working journalist Danielle Nohra. And while I’m back slapping, great work last week by our hardy distribution crew who (again) braved the elements and buckets of rain to get “CityNews” distributed. 

GREENWAY reader Helen Rohan writes to complain (with a photo) about the “shameful dumping” that goes on near Lake Tuggeranong. She enjoys lakeside walks and the wildlife, but struggles with dumped material. 

“In my area I have seen burnt-out cars, garden rubbish, furniture, many supermarket trolleys (which means some locals are guilty) and lots of takeaway food litter. People purchase their food, drive to the lake to enjoy the pleasant views while dining and then throw the rubbish on the ground in the carpark,” she says.

“I also drive down Mugga Lane and Narrabundah Lane and can’t believe what I see there as well. Please tell Canberra to take pride and stop dumping!” Okay: take pride and stop dumping, Canberra. That should do it. 

ABOUT that silver lining… Slaven Mazda has had such a good February, writing the best new-car sales numbers since its halcyon days of 1991. The terrible hailstorm on January 20 has lifted the company to number one Mazda dealer in NSW/ACT, says dealer principal and Everton tragic David Rolfe. But, he says the purring can be heard from car dealerships all over town as they share the windfall challenge of replacing so many written-off cars.